CONEJO VALLEY : Panel Delays Ruling on Day-Care Cuts

The Conejo Valley school board will wait to consider proposed cuts in the district-run child-care program until suggestions by parents and staff members can be studied, officials said Wednesday.

After three hours of public comment on Tuesday, Supt. William R. Seaver suggested the board delay its decision until January to explore alternatives.

More than 200 people attended the Conejo Valley Unified School District board meeting to protest plans to cut the kindergarten program and the after-school program at both Cypress and Weathersfield elementary schools, leaving no child-care programs at those schools. The district now offers child care at 17 of its 18 elementary schools.

District staff had also proposed deleting the before-school program at Banyan, Conejo and Wildwood elementary schools and the kindergarten programs at Acacia, Glenwood, Manzanita and University elementary schools. Under the proposal, two child-care workers would be laid off and the hours of nine other workers reduced.

Up to 180 children could be affected by the proposed cuts.